Wayne State Teams Capture Second Consecutive GLIAC Championship

ASHLAND, Ohio, February 24. FOR the second straight season and fourth in the last five, the Wayne State men's swimming and diving team won the GLIAC Championship. The Wayne State women's swimming and diving team (739.5 points) captured its second straight GLIAC Championship by a 138.5-point margin over second-place Grand Valley State (601).

On the women's side, Indianapolis (575) came in third place, followed by host school Ashland (509). Gannon (310) was sixth, followed by Hillsdale (309.5), Lewis (275.5), Northern Michigan (231.5), and Findlay (116).

With both the women's and men's teams winning the conference championship for the second straight year, Wayne State joins Oakland – which did it seven times between 1989-97 – as the only schools in GLIAC history to win both titles in consecutive years.

For the sixth straight year, head coach Sean Peters earned GLIAC Men's Coach of the Year. He passed his former coach, Oakland University's Pete Hovland, for most Coach of the Year awards in GLIAC history and marked the second year in a row he has earned both the men's and women's year-end awards.

In the first event of the night for the men, Guilherme Veiga (Vinton, Va./William Byrd) won the 1000 free in a time of 9:27.34, just shy of Nick Ingrao's GLIAC record of 9:26.69 set last year. James Ekleberry (Rochester Hills, Mich./Avondale) finished fourth (9:47.36), and David Fontecchio (Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester Adams) rounded out the point-scoring finishers in 16th (10:38.68).

In the final event of the meet, the Wayne State 400 free relay team of Pacheco, Oliveira, Rzepa, and Bedran placed second (3:06.01).

Head coach Sean Peters won his second GLIAC Women's Coach of the Year, marking the second year in a row he has earned both the men's and women's year-end awards. Additionally, Ashley St. Andrew (Grand Rapids, Mich./Jenison) was named Co-Freshman of the Year along with Jenny Johnsson of Ashland.

In the first event of the evening, Erika Barczak (Williamston, Mich.) won the three-meter diving competition with a score of 447.75. Katie Rence (Portage, Mich./Central) came in fourth (348.20) and Venessa Torres (Wyandotte, Mich./Roosevelt) placed fifth (341.00).

St. Andrew won the 1000 free in 10:19.51, setting a new GLIAC record and breaking her own WSU record. Melissa Duff (Howell, Mich./Brighton) finished second (10:35.18), Maggie Young (Tecumseh, Ont./St. Anne's) came in 10th (10:54.65), Mandy Burton (Ypsilanti, Mich./Lincoln) placed 13th (10:59.92), and Whitney Baker (Trenton, Mich.) rounded out the point-scoring field in 16th (11:06.43).

In the "A" final of the 200 backstroke, Katie Harrigan (Portage, Mich./Northern) turned in a fourth-place time of 2:10.16. Erin Hill (Holt, Mich.), Burton, and Jenny Howe (Wyandotte, Mich./Riverview) all swam in the "B" final and came in ninth (2:12.65), 12th (2:14.70), and 16th (2:17.98), respectively.

Jodi Scott (Windsor, Ont./Riverside S.S.) swam in the "A" final of the 200 breaststroke and came in eighth (2:31.73), and Amber Staudacher (Rockford, Mich.) finished 10th (2:34.54) in the "B" final.

Elaina Hogle (Kentwood, Mich./East Kentwood) and Laura Leix (Flint, Mich./Southwestern) went one-two in the 200 fly, with Hogle's time of 2:06.36 setting a new GLIAC record. Leix turned in a time of 2:09.52, and Elena Crowley (Detroit, Mich./Mercy) won the "B" final (ninth overall) in 2:15.05.

In the final event of the championship, the Wayne State 400 free relay team of Rakouth, St. Andrew, Hogle, and Danaher took second place.

Wayne State will have several representatives competing at the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Buffalo, N.Y., March 14-17.